Public trust doctrine protects natural resources from private appropriation and mandates state stewardship for public use.

The Public Trust Doctrine holds that natural resources such as rivers, seashore, forests, air and running waters are held by the State in trusteeship for public use and enjoyment. The State, as trustee, has a legal duty to protect, conserve and maintain these resources for public use, restrain their alienation to private ownership, and ensure they remain available for specified public purposes rather than private or commercial appropriation.

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